Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced a major cabinet reshuffle yesterday after a poll defeat last month wrecked his hopes of winning new powers.
Mr Chavez named a replacement for combative vice-president Jorge Rodriguez and said he was making 12 other cabinet changes.
Mr Rodriguez was blamed by many government supporters for the referendum defeat in December, when voters rejected Mr Chavez's bid for new powers and the right to run for re-election indefinitely
In recent days, Mr Chavez has dropped his grandiose revolutionary speeches and has instead promised to tackle issues like crime and garbage collection that more directly affect his grassroots supporters.
Mr Chavez said his new vice president will be Ramon Carrizales, his low-key housing minister and former infrastructure minister.
"We are not extremists and we cannot be. We have to look for alliances with the middle classes," the president said, adding he had no plans to eliminate private property.